The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1887-01-28

Dlnts to Aorltulturlsts.
The Inventors Work in Agriculture.

The conditions Of the welfare of countries
has undergone very great changes during Inst
fifty years. Up to a comparatively recent re
Rod, it was an axiom Of political economy
that the farmers We're the producers of the
true wealth of region. They worked
mine that was ineNhaustib.e if proper treat,
ment was awarded it. Ii the soil became
spent, it was interpreted as L sign OF faulty
agriculture. Properly treated, tie same land
could be used, year in and year out, and would
yield a constant return fer labor expanded
and capital invested, The coal minor works
cut deposit of ccal and abandons tie region,
after cumbelinS many acres with heaps OF
culm. The metalargist builds his furnaces
near the source Of supplies. to be abandoned
when these fail. But tie farmer, by his per
manence of location, and by lis improving,
instead OF exhaustng The land. seemed the
founder of a countiy'S prosperity. 1t is true
that i'll some instances, pircuariy where
subjected to heavy drain uVnn lis mineral
constituents by successive crops of cereals CT
tobacco, land became exhausted. Modern
-
and prescription Of rotation Of crops. endeavol
ed, with much success 10 overcome this trou-
BILE.
The asriculturist was hUs advanced in his
efforts by the chemist, and took 4 step for
ward toward more scientific lreatmc Of his
materials. Coincident with, or little in adj
vance of. this epocli, the mechanical inventor
appeared on the scene, and invented machin.
cry which enabled horses to do the work of
men. From the reaping hook to the cradle
was an important step. 1t multiplied greatly
The labor of man. From the cradle to the
reaper, from the pitchfolk to the unloading
machinery, from hand labor TO the self-binder,
from the fail to the thrashing machine, We're
still greater ones, as they did away with di-
rectly applied human labor. These invcn
tons mark revolution in farming.
The farmer or his aborers to-day do no;
one hundre 9TH ofthc actual work. Steam or
horse driven machinery are The agents. The
farm is converted into Il factory. Grain is
sowed and fertilizers iare distributed by ma
chimes. Improved cuitvators are used in
power threshing machine, are sllas uted for
the old time tllis. The farming Of lily yeas
aco is becoming lost art.
To great extent. the farmer is Ceposed
from his position as the principal producer of
..resion's wealth. This honor must be shar-
I'll by others. The chemist has hal lis part
in the change, but the inventor stands above
all in this. To him the new condition is
principally due. rs the result of his work.
the | niPd States mlinta in numerous fdcto-
RES devoted entirely to the production OF ag-
ricultural machinery. Every city and village
have stores devoted to their sale. The farmer
effects the operations of the machinery when
completed, just as the engineer of 4 steamer
superintends tie running Of the engine II
would be as truthful or logical To call the
marine engineer the developer Of commerce
As to claim for the farmer the title Of sole
producer. In his work he has many paltrers.
Without tie great agricultural implement
works. he coed 90 nothing. They. as well as
he, are agents in production. The inventor
who directs and plans the factories work is
an actual producer. He may not make two
blades ct grass grow where formerly there
was only one. but he h as changed another "a
no for the better He has made the actual
labor Of a man more efficient than before
The soil may produce no more, but the labor
OF those tiliin@ il is many more times produc-
tive
The future political economist should pay
regard to The rev order of things The innu-
enCe OF the inventor has been particularly
great in the field Of agriculture. 1t has done
away with the customs of many centuries it
has converted the farmer into a superinten-
dent or engineer. and raised Inn from The de
>pondency due to amending toll.
The immense grain farms of the West are
The outsrowth Of such factors. Steam al Il |
horses ale the motive power, and improved |
machinery is the direct performer ofthe work |
The system by which they are run could no |
more exist without the inventors and than |
the merchant navy could be proftaby worked |
without compound engines and all the latest |
devices and inventions in steam machinery |
The same applies to the smaller farms of the |
East. On them the work is done by machin- |
cry, and the tIrmer is being educated and de- |
reloped into an engineer, capable Of running |
aud repairing complicated machinery. Sci /
eniifr american.